By L.A. Williams
Christian Action League
May 29, 2024
More legalized gambling in North Carolina? Senate leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) says the odds are against additional casinos being approved this legislative session, but video lottery terminals might be a safer bet.
“Senator Berger’s decision not to push for more casinos this year is a step in the right direction. However, it’s deeply concerning that our state’s leaders are even considering any additional gambling options, such as VLTs, given the significant harm these practices inflict on communities,” said the Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League. “We should prioritize the well-being of our citizens over the lure of quick financial gains.”
Creech said House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) has rightly pointed out that last year’s contentious casino debate, which took place primarily as part of private budget negotiations, has cast a shadow over current discussions about the lottery and VLTs.
“The behind-closed-doors nature of those discussions betrayed the public trust and demonstrated a lack of transparency that should not be repeated,” Creech said.
The idea of allowing three or four casinos in economically-strapped areas of North Carolina — Nash, Rockingham, and Anson counties as well as on Lumbee land — fell flat with many House members, especially when it was revealed that a company with links to a Maryland-based gambling firm had already successfully gotten land near a camp for special needs children rezoned for commercial use despite public outcry against the move and a negative recommendation from the local planning board.
Still, some lawmakers insist there is widespread public support for Las Vegas-style gambling. Earlier this year, WRAL released a poll of 850 adults showing that 55% support allowing casinos. But Creech said lawmakers should not put too much stock in such findings.
“It’s important to acknowledge that there is considerable opposition to any form of gambling in North Carolina. While some polls might suggest otherwise, these can be misleading,” he said. “I firmly believe that the rank-and-file Republicans who turn out to vote do not support the expansion of gambling. Instead, they are troubled by it.”
The ill-fated casino plan caused a considerable delay in passing a state budget last session. Now, lawmakers are back in Raleigh for the short session, weighing changes to the spending plan and eyeing potential revenue streams, including VLTs. Legislative staff have estimated that legalizing VLTs could bring $1 billion per year to state coffers, but Creech pointed out that the social costs of gambling far outweigh the financial benefits.
“The potential $1 billion does not account for the increased rates of addiction, financial ruin, and broken families that often accompany expanded gambling opportunities. These social costs are always more than the revenue gained,” he said.
Professor Michelle L. Malkin, director of East Carolina University’s Gambling Research and Policy Initiative, told the Greensboro News & Record that machines are more likely to lead to addiction faster than some other forms of gambling because of the psychology of the design.
“Gambling addiction or ‘disordered gambling’ can sneak up on people who feel even a slight pull toward games of chance,” she said.
North Carolina has fought the proliferation of video-based gambling for decades. Lawyers from the state Justice Department described the state’s stance this way in a legal filing last year: “Since 2010, North Carolina has expressly banned the operation of video sweepstakes machines. This ban was enacted in response to the attempt of certain gambling interests to circumvent the State’s ban on video poker and similar games through sweepstakes that used those games as marketing tools for purportedly legitimate products. To address this problem, the General Assembly banned sweepstakes that are conducted through all video games of chance, such as video poker and all similar games.”
Should the state change its stance, it would be one of about a dozen states that have embraced VLTs, often described as “electronic morphine” and “the crack cocaine of gambling.”
“The Christian Action League urges lawmakers to reject any additional gambling measures and focus on policies that support healthy, stable communities,” Creech said. “Let us not be swayed by the promise of easy money at the expense of our moral and social integrity.”